“Lewis one of those men?” Evie questioned, watching Willa’s reaction.
“Lewis thinks I would make a good replacement for the wife that ran away with another man.” Willa’s face was white and her eyes held fear that turned Evie’s stomach. “Now that he’s raising his sister’s kids with his own three, he thinks I would make the perfect mother. He says I’m too fat and ugly for other men to chase, and I can cook, clean and babysit. Of course, the most important part is I have a thriving business to sponge from.”
“You need me to have a talk with this fucker?” Killyama asked, sitting down next to Willa.
Willa’s eyes opened wide at Killyama’s blunt words. “That’s okay. I’ve got it under control.” Evie didn’t believe her; she would have a talk with Shade when he came back tomorrow.
While Beth continued opening her presents, Evie organized all of them so Razer wouldn’t have any difficulty loading them up tomorrow when he picked her up.
“Who is this one from?” Beth asked when Lily handed her the last one. “It’s from Pastor Patterson’s wife. He gave it to me today. He told me Brooke had left it before she had gone to visit her mother.”
“Did she know we were having a shower for Beth?”
“Yes, she called the store today to ask if I could see the pastor had dinner tonight. I told her I couldn’t because I would be too busy helping you with the shower. Rachel volunteered to fix him something before she left, though,” Lily said, picking up the discarded wrapping paper.
“I fixed him a bowl of soup. That man is helpless in the kitchen,” Rachel said, taking a handful of chips. “She even had the nerve to ask me if I thought Lily would come in the morning to fix him breakfast. I told her no, that she was spending the night with you and Beth. The man can fix his own bowl of cereal. If my three brothers can manage to feed themselves, then I think the pastor can, too.”
“Your brothers can’t cook?” Evie joked.
“No, they think that’s what I’m for. I keep hoping at least one of them will get married off.” She stared at Killyama. “You dating anyone?”
“No.”
“Want me to fix you up with one of them?” Rachel asked hopefully.
“Which one?”
“Any one you want.” Evie couldn’t smother her laughter at Rachel’s eagerness.
Killyama looked at Rachel suspiciously. “Which one has the most guns?”
“Tate.”
“Hook me up. I’ll give him a try first.”
“First?” Rachel lost her smile.
Killyama nodded. “I’ll give all three a try before I make my mind up.”
“Never mind,” Rachel told her. “They already fight at the drop of a hat; I don’t need them killing each other over a woman.”
“If you change your mind, let me know.”
Without a word, Rachel got up, going into the kitchen to try to get another piece of candy from the tray Bliss was guarding.
It was after midnight before the women began leaving. Holding the door open as they left, Evie heard the rumbling of thunder.
“I didn’t know a storm was moving in,” Evie remarked, seeing the lightning flash across the sky.
“I didn’t, either.” Winter paused in the threshold. “Will the men be all right?”
“Yes. It’s not like they’re sleeping in tents. Cash’s cabin is big enough to hold them all,” Evie assured her.
“That’s good. I would have worried about them.”
“They’re perfectly safe. They have all the amenities: a television, radio and weed. I’m sure they’re just fine.”
After everyone left, Evie and Lily cleaned up the mess. When Beth would have gotten up to help, Evie threatened to call Razer, so Beth sank back against the couch, wincing.
“Are you all right?” Evie asked.
“I’m fine. Just a little indigestion. I shouldn’t have eaten all those meatballs.”
“Me, either,” Evie agreed.
With most of the clean-up finished, they decided to turn in. Evie carried Beth several pillows and a blanket. Lily would sleep in her old bedroom upstairs, which Evie had converted into a spare bedroom.
“Comfortable?”
“Are you kidding me? It’s summer, yet you’d think it was winter outside.”
“I was afraid you would get cold with the air conditioning,” she explained.
“It feels fine in here. This couch is as big as a twin bed, and the bathroom is just right there. Go to bed.”
“I’m going. You got your cell phone?” Beth picked it up from the coffee table, waving it in the air.